Angó lived many years ago on a lofty peak with his wife and
family. One day he hied him to the forest with his dogs in quest
of game. Fortune granted him a fine big boar, but he broke his
spear in dealing the mortal blow. Upon arriving at a stream, he
sat down upon a stone and set himself to straightening out his
spear. The croaking of the nearby frogs attracted his attention,
and, imitating their shrill gamut, he boldly told them that
it would be better to cease their cries and help him mend his
spear. He continued his course up the rocky torrent, but noticed
that a multitude of little stones began to follow behind in his
path. Surprised at such a happening, he hastened his steps. Looking
back he saw bigger stones join in the pursuit. He then seized his
dog, and in fear began to run, but the stones kept in hot pursuit,
bigger and bigger ones joining the party. Upon arriving at his
sweet-potato patch, he was exhausted and had to slacken his pace,
whereupon the stones overtook him and one became attached to his
finger. He could not go on. He called upon his wife. She with
the young ones sought the magic lime [16] and set it around
her husband, but all to no avail for his feet began to turn
to stone. His wife and children, too, fell under the wrath of
Anítan. The following morning they were stone up to the knees,
and during the following three days the petrifying continued
from the knees to the hips, then to the breast, and then to the
head. Thus it is that to this day there may be seen on Bináoi
peak the petrified forms of Angó and his family. [17]
The sun, moon, and stars are great deities, or the dwelling place
of such deities, in nearly all Philippine religions. The following
Manóbo myth is interesting because of its resemblance to others from
northern Luzon.
THE ORIGIN OF THE STARS AND THE EXPLANATION OF SUNSET AND SUNRISE
It is said that in the olden time the Sun and the Moon were
married. They led a peaceful, harmonious life. Two children
were the issue of their wedlock. One day the Moon had to attend
to one of the household duties that fall to the lot of a woman,
some say to get water, others say to get the daily supply of food
from the fields. Before departing, she crooned the children to
sleep and told her husband to watch them but not to approach lest
by the heat that radiated from his body he might harm them. She
then started upon her errand. The Sun, who never before had been
allowed to touch his bairns, arose and approached their sleeping
place. He gazed upon them fondly, and, bending down, kissed them,
but the intense heat that issued from his countenance melted them
like wax. Upon perceiving this he wept and quietly betook himself
to the adjoining forest in great fear of his wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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